
-- Break Me Down gets shredded --
02/12/2019
Stijn Daneels

Interview
written and conducted by Stijn “Metal Shredder” Daneels.
Last
September I was contacted by PressThis! Music PR to check out one of their
clients, the Italian alternative rock band Break Me Down. They offered me to
check out the band’s debut album “The Pond” as well as gave me the opportunity to
interview Break Me Down’s guitarist and founding member Laerte Ungaro through
Skype.
Eventually
on October 3, 2019, while I was recovering from bronchitis, I called up Laerte
to talk about Break Me Down’s origins, their inspirational life philosophy, the
making of their new album “The Pond,” their memorable gig with Vinnie Moore and
the band’s diverse professional lives.
BMS: Hello, Laerte! Glad to have you here on Skype! Tell me, how did Break Me Down begin?
Laerte: In
2017 I formed Break Me Down not long after my previous band, Love Frame,
disbanded. Not only did I want to play live music once more but I also wanted
to play heavier music compared to what I did earlier. Love Frame’s style didn’t
fulfill my musical visions and with Break Me Down I aim for zero-compromise
rock! Giuseppe, who played bass in my former band, joined me and now, after an
EP and a few lineup changes we’ve released our debut album called “The Pond!”
BMS: Great! So, how did you come up with the name Break Me Down?
Laerte: The
name comes from our philosophy of life. There’s so much in the world that tries
to break you down. People may abuse the trust you give them, you may get sick
or suffer a heavy car crash. Life may break you down, but you can always
rebuild yourself.

BMS: That’s a very optimistic view of life. Now, in preparation of our interview today I watched the lyric video for “Your Game,” the first single of your new album “The Pond.” I feel it’s a powerful tune with commanding vocals and an energetic, call-to-action atmosphere. But what I particularly love about the video were its visuals. It features people from all walks of life, young and old, healthy and disabled, all fighting for a better future for themselves and the world.
Laerte:
Thank you for those kind remarks! Indeed, our main goal with the song and
accompanying video was to show that people aren’t as different as we tend to
believe and that we can all leave a positive impact on the world and the people
living in it. No matter your race, gender or religious orientation. “Your Game”
is also a personal achievement for our new vocalist, Irene, because this was
the first Break Me Down song she has written lyrics for.
BMS: Kudos
to Irene and the rest of you folks for writing this awesome tune! I’m pumped to
shred the rest of the material! Tell me something more about “The Pond.” It’s
songwriting, production, etc.
Laerte: “The
Pond” was quite a complicated album to make, particularly the mixing took much
long and hard work. We took a critical look at our previous release, the EP
“Resilience” which we released in early 2018, and decided to retain the melodic
elements while making its successor more heavy metal than pop rock. There was
also a lot of teamwork during all parts of the album’s production. During
songwriting and recording we all gave each other feedback and suggestions to
make the best out of what we were creating. Some of our songs were created out
of a rhythm that our drummer, Fabio, came up with while others were build
around a guitar riff, either from me or from my guitar shredding colleague
Morris). From day one of Break Me Down’s existence, everyone in the band has an
equal saying concerning the band’s songwriting and overall direction.
Laerte: Speaking
of songwriting, I’ve written the lyrics for 8 songs of “The Pond” album while
Irene has written 2 and Giuseppe 1. My lyrics are inspired by things that I
directly or indirectly experience in my own life. For instance, the song “OCD”
is inspired by a YouTube video I watched which was dedicated to people who
suffer from the obsessive-compulsive disorder. And so the “OCD” tune puts
attention to this mental illness as well. Another one of my songs inspired by
contemporary topics is the title track of “The Pond” and its artwork. As you
can see, it shows a girl looking at her reflection in a pond of water, with
that pond functioning as mirror. It’s a visual metaphor to how nowadays we
constantly judge each other and ourselves by our appearances (particularly on
the internet).

BMS: Looks like you folks have become quite the family.
Laerte: Exactly!
I believe that’s a pivotal element for a band’s longevity. After all, as a
band, you’ll be spending a lot of time playing, working and living together so
it’s important that you all get along as musicians and as people.
BMS: Indeed! And I must say that I’m quite impressed when I read your band’s resume! Despite Break Me Down’s mere 2-year existence you’ve already had the opportunity to open up for such high-tier acts like Lacuna Coil, Crazy Town and Vinnie Moore.
Laerte:
Yeah! And for me the show we did with Vinnie Moore was a true dream come true
as he was one of my earliest inspirations. And what’s more, when we had
finished our sound check for that particular gig in our hometown of Milan Vinnie
himself came out of the backstage to personally praise us for the music we had
played during the check! It was a pure rush of joy and adrenaline for me and
stands as my personal highlight for what I have currently achieved as part of
Break Me Down.
BMS: I’m very grateful for you as well. You know, I’ve always believed that hard work and genuine passion eventually pays off and your encounter with and appraisal from Vinnie Moore, one of your biggest inspirations, is proof of that. Tell me, have you played in Belgium before?
Laerte: No,
but I would love to play in your country some day, especially since I’m a huge
lover of your Delirium beer!
BMS: Ah, that’s great! I live only about 30 km from the Delirium brewery in Melle (near Ghent)! And I often hear from foreign bands that they love playing in my little country because of the hospitality, professionalism, enthusiastic crowds and of course, the beers!
Laerte: I’m
already looking forward to it! Currently we’re scheduling a little tour across
Italy and next year we’ll have the resources and connections to go out and play
gigs outside of Italy and of course we’ll be passing through Belgium as well!
BMS: Tell me, Laerte, what other things do you do in life aside from Break Me Down?
Laerte: I
make a living as a taxi driver here in Milan!
BMS: Taxi driver in such a busy metropolis. That must be one hell of job. Literally!
Laerte: I
simply remind myself that my job is to get my client from point A to point B
without causing any accidents. No matter how much time it takes. I remain
professional and polite towards all my passengers and keep myself calm no
matter how often they yell at me to hurry up. My band colleagues make a living
in such professions as a restaurant chef (our bassist Guiseppe), a truck driver
(our other guitarist Morris), a gardener (our drummer Fabio) and a clothes
manufacturer (our vocalist Irene).
BMS: That’s quite a variety of jobs and lifestyles.
Laerte: Indeed
but we do manage to rehearse frequently and get along together very well. All
it takes is plenty of good, honest communication and keeping each other
motivated to get the best out of ourselves individually and as a whole,
well-functioning band.
BMS: Damn straight! So, Laerte, is there anything else you wish to add before we close off this Skype shred?
Learte: It
was great talking to you, my Belgian friend. I wish you a speedy recovery from
your bronchitis and I hope to see you and your other Shredders soon!
